The Clash of Two: The Handsome and The Stranger
A red-haired Shinobi, operating away from his other team-mates for today, was walking along a grassy plain with the wind blowing through his long hair. "At least it isn't raining," He thought, stealing a shielded look at the shining sun. The sun was blazing, as Kenki from the Leaf was lying on a rock thinking about his last mission... '' "Wow. I took out half of the clan with that technique... maybe I overdid it..." , Kenki thought to himself. He then saw someone... but rapidly fell asleep. Gray noticed the fellow lying down, but wasn't really worried. This close to Konoha, it was safe to assume he was a ninja of the village. ''"But then, whys he out here?" Then again, he was out here alone as well, so he decided to make his way towards the fellow to ease his curiosity. "Nice to meet ya," He said, closing the distance. In a matter of seconds, Kenki appeared a few feet in front of the fellow, bowing down in the process. "Greetings, stranger. What brings you to the outskirts of the Leaf?" he said respectfully, noticing almost instantly that this stranger was a higher ranked ninja than himself. "Scouting for Missing-nin," Gray replied, his tone relaxed. "They've been increasing in number lately, and becoming a royal pain. My names Gray Kazuki, of the Kazuki Clan." Pride entered his voice, and he reached out to shake the fellows hand in greeting. "Kazuki Clan? Wow. This can't be a coincidence." , Kenki thought to himself. He then proceeded to ask Gray, "Kazuki Clan? The Clan that has "The Blitz Eye" as it's Kekkei Genkai?" , he jumped back and reached for his Hip-Pouch. "This may end badly.". "Judging by the reaction, he must use lightning-release techniques," Gray sighed in response, instinctively resting his hand on the hilt of his katana. "Yes, I'm a member of that Clan." He said, somewhat annoyed by the fellows reaction. He revealed the Burittsuai momentarily, which took the appearance of a yellow eye and three curved black lines in his eye, before deactivating it. "But why would anything end badly? I'd hardly call you an enemy of mine to warrant anything resulting in any ugliness." But his hand never strayed from that hilt. "It will end badly, as it is my mission to take you to the Hokage. Dead or Alive.", Kenki then entered in a calm state. His eyes widening, he took out a shuriken from his pouch and threw it at his opponent, rapidly sitting on the rock after throwing it. A smile crossed Gray's face momentarily as the sound of steel scrapping on scabbard filled the air. It soon gave way to the sound of howling wind, as the shuriken thrown struck a wind barrier as Gray swung his katana in a single arc. "One thing the Kazuki Clan is very skilled in, but not well known for, is their skills in Kenjutsu," He stated calmly. A Kunai left his free hand, aimed directly for his opponents head! "Well, that's a bust.", Kenki said while the Kunai stopped in place. "Projectiles can't hit me. Try as you must, it won't hit me.", Kenki said while weaving a set of hand seals: "Lightning Release: Black Bolt!", Kenki then fired a bolt of dark purple electricity, aiming at his opponents chest. Gray simply closed his left eye and opened his right, the Burittsuai appearing. The dark purple bolt seemed destined to hit its target, but at the last second the bolt was redirected away to strike against the ground some ten feet away. "Burittsuai: Art of Redirection is the most basic power the Kazuki Clan possess." He replied, forming the hand seal for ram. Gray created several small tornadoes that he soon directed towards Kenki. "Not bad, I reckon. But still not enough.", he said. "This one, you can't control: Lightning Release: Demon Cat Thunder!!", a stream of electricity formed on Kenki's hand and the end changed to a small, demonic looking cat. Kenki then clashed said technique with the tornadoes sent by gray, effectvely nullifiing the wind tornado. Kenki then sent the technique at Gray, this time aiming at his head. "Lightning is but a candle beside a blaze in comparison to the Burittsuai," Gray said calmly smiling, as he used the Body Replacement Technique to switch places with the rock Kenki had been sitting on previously, an act which took him directly behind his opponent. Creating a further two lightning clones, Gray drew his katana slowly before moving the clones forward quickly to execute Dance of the Crescent Moon in an attempt to bifurcate him at the waist, while he himself put a bit of distance between them. Kenki acted quickly and jumped high in the air with the use of his Violent beast transformation, allowing for each clone to pierce the other. "Now you've done it..." Gray sighed and raised his head to look coldly at the Shinobi in the air, both eyes reflecting the Burittsuai. He wasn't usually an easy person to anger, or even annoy, but right then; witnessing his clones destroyed by each other, caused his temper to fray a little. Raising his hand, Gray's face slowly began to show a snarl. "Wind Release: Petal Dust Dance!" A typhoon of petals, dancing in the wind, flew with extreme speed and force towards Kenki! "Thats quite the technique. But still, not... enough.", Kenki said with a grin on his face, rappidly appearing in front of his enemy, prepared to start the Volt Dance of Chaos, his hands glowing abright, he was aiming at his opponents joints. The petals fired previously followed his command, and he brought them back, slowed them and brought them down, using the wind currents he suddenly returned to their full power that now hit the ground to propel him clear of danger and into the air. Using the Burittsuai to its fullest, Gray channeled lightning Chakra to his free hand and fired it in a long, thin beam that's speed was doubled through the use of his Kekkei Genkai! "So that's the Chidori. Time to make this quick.", Kenki then weaved a few hand seals and his legs gained a more muscular feral form, allowing him to quickly disappear into the darkness of the forest. Surprised by the fact the fellow dodged his hastened Chidori Sharp Spear, Gray allowed himself to drop to the ground; using wind currents to ease his fall. "This guys pretty skilled. Obviously experienced," He deduced, looking at the tree line near him. "I could give chase... or flush him out. Which one?" He thought, standing in a defensive stance. "None.", said Kenki while throwing a kunai, aiming it at Gray's back, at point blank range."I figure I'd let myself know what the Chidori Sharp Spear looks like before I ended this battle.", said Kenki while preparing his most powerful technique."How can you redirect what you can't see?", Kenki said, while weaving the last hand seal needed for the technique. Gray swung his sword in a single arc behind him, wind gusts saving his life for certain. "I'll admit that you very nearly had me there," He said, turning to face his foe. "This has been fun, I'll admit. But it's time I ended this." Opening the first of the Eight Gates, Gray used his newfound muscle strength to move incredibly quickly - almost appearing to shimmer. He was in front of Kenki, his katana flashing through the air with the Flying Swallow increasing the cutting force and range well beyond the slashes natural limit! By the first time, surprised, Kenki chnged his arms physique and made them more muscular grabbing the sword by the flat sides, and with a brute movement, parrying the sword out of the way, and then punched his opponents sides repeatedly stating "Noone has ever surprised me before, congrats on that. But now, I'll have'' ''to kill you.", Kenki then kicked the ninja against a tree with his Chakra Augmentated leg. "It worked," He said, flexing his now empty left hand. Gray raised his head and grinned, his eyes falling on the spinning orb of wind that sat just in front on Kenki's feet and three explosive tags attached to the ground beside it. Forming the ram hand seal, Gray shouted loudly. "Wind Release: Pressure Damage." Struggling to his feet, the orb expanded and released a massive blast of powerful wind that completely engulfed Kenki! The explosive tags ignited, creating a baptism of flame made all the stronger by mixing with the wind created. As the smoke from Gray's technique rised, a bright shield of pure chakra was seen enveloping one of Kenki's arm, "Damn, I would be dead if that technique was a direct hit.", Kenki deactivated the shield and assumed a defense position, "Looks like I underestimated you. Let's go for round 2, shall we?" Round 2 Gray regarded the fellow coolly, feet spreading slightly apart. "He's pretty quick, to have blocked that." He thought, reaching for his pouch to check his equipment. "Seven shuriken, two Kunai and three more explosive tags," He counted mentally, pulling out two shuriken and cloaking them with lightning-element Chakra. "Let's go!" He started by throwing the projectiles straight at his foe, hoping the lightning would help cut through his muscle and numb his body before he ran forward himself; slower than before from the attack he'd sustained. Kenki simply made a gesture towards the shurikens and they simply froze in place, losing their static charge from before. "I told you. Kunais, shurikens and such can't touch me.", Kenki then unsheated his sword, and by using chakra flow, he poured his lightning chakra into his sword, increasing it's cutting edge. "Let's go then.", Kenki then disappeared and reappeared in front of his opponent, aiming his sword to his opponent's chest and stating "Reap yet another, Ken." The blade struck one of Gray's kunai, though the lightning that had surrounded his blade was re-directed through Kenki's body; giving him quite a nasty shock. Gray simply stood in a stalemate with the man, the full strength of the first gate allowing him to match the Ninja's physical strength. "And lightning is all bust useless to anyone wielding the Burittsuai," He lectured, twisting his body to kick Kenki in the ribs before maneuvering around him where he threw yet another Shuriken, this one getting closer due to their close proximity to each other. "Shit! I can't shock this one!" '', thought Kenki, shortly afterwards being struck in the left arm with the same kunai. "Damn it. Nevertheless, I still have to go on.", Kenki, without showing any pain, took the Kunai out of his arm and hurled it towards his opponent, vanishing in the process. ''"Although I used my lightning chakra to function as a painkiller, it still hurts.", Kenki thought to himself, "Oh... of every technique I got, I forgot THAT one... silly me.", then, out of nowhere, thousands of shurikens appeared aiming directly at Gray! A gust of wind accompanied Gray's twist as he took a deep breathe and inhaled; turning his own twisting motion into a circular movement that released a large amount of wind to repel the shurikens around him. As the projectiles fell around him, Gray dropped to one knee as sweat from his various exertions became apparent. "Heh. Times like this I envy Kenji and that battery he has. I don't really want to do this, but I might not have much choice." Swiftly unsheating his sword, Kenki aproached Gray, stating "If you come with me peacefully we won't have to end this here." Kenki then picked up a Shriken from the floor and threw it into the air, saying "You have until the shuriken touches the ground to make up your mind.", he then disappeared and reappeared on top of a tree branch. "You have no idea how big a farce this has been," Gray said standing up, his shoulders shaking from laughter. "Earlier you said the Hokage wanted me - dead or alive - but have you any idea of my relationship with the Hokage? He trained my Sensei and is more like a father to me, so allow me to take the decision out of your hands." Opening the second Gate well before the Shuriken reached the ground, Gray felt the power flowing through him, but more importantly, he felt re-energized. He moved forward and launched his foe into the air where he attempted to use the to end it once behind him. "Is this a test?" thought Kenki while airborne but suddenly remembered the correct words told to him by the Hokage, ''"Go call Gray, he's right out of the village. You can't miss him, he has wild red hair, so you know how to recognize him.." ''Kenki disappeared and reappeared at ground level, stating "I am completely sorry for this. I have misunderstood your "father", he wanted to call you to give you something." Gray arched an eyebrow as he landed lightly on the ground. "... And you couldn't have said that earlier?" He asked, somewhat angrily but as soon as he said it, he wished he could've had the words back. After a few seconds though with nothing but the wind to answer him, the red-haired Shinobi let out a sigh. "Sorry about that. I guess I'd better get going, then." He said releasing the second gate. "We might as well head back together, unless you have unfinished business...?" "Actually, no." answered Kenki, quite surprised himself "We might as well go together, as I'm interested in what the Hokage has to give you." replied Kenki, while straping his sword to his back.